The eodromi (/ˈioʊdroʊmi/) is a small, windsock-like stranger. Its hollow body lacks solid form, appearing translucent and ethereal in substance. Its coloration varies both regionally and between groups, with orange, blue, and grey being the most common colors. The number of teardrop markings corresponds to the individual eodromi's IQ – thus, individuals with an IQ of zero lack teardrops entirely.

above: variations in color. from left to right: troi, mié, ruéo, soen.

The eodromi's ghost-like body cannot be physically interacted with. It passes through solid matter as it darts from place to place in the air, with these material intersections causing it no harm. The eodromi is most visible in dim conditions, also appearing to have a slight shimmer or sparkle to its form. In bright light, this stranger is almost invisible, allowing even large groups to pass unnoticed in daylight hours.

environment and generation

The eodromi appears in outdoor locations, and always spawns in groups. These groups flow forth in long, unbroken steams from a single point on a flat plane. Eodromi do not tend to generate from small or moveable objects (like cars or crates), but instead emerge from solid, grounded structures, such as walls, rooftops, or the backs of a street signs.

"She was walking to the grocer's when she saw what must have been one hundred of them emerge in a stream from a billboard. The billboard showed a woman's face, and while on any other day she might have compared her own chalky skin to those perfect airbrushed cheeks, right now all she could do was furrow her brows at the way those beasts poured out like tears from a spot just beneath the woman's eye and faded off somewhere between the sun and city." Zhong, Tsui. untitled unpublished novel, 200

Groups do not survive this initial generation 0.15% of the time, and are, in essence, stillborn, their corpses flowing to the ground and coming to rest on top of one another in morbid, ashy heaps, which soon settle to nothingness.

behaviour

The eodromi's demeanor is curious, but non-distinct, with no differentiation between individuals. It is found in groups which number anywhere from several dozen to many thousands of individuals, with the average group consisting of one to three hundred individuals. The number of eodromi in a group correspond to numerous factors including population density, weather, and number of other strangers nearby. The full range of factors numbers in the thousands, however, and thus group size appears largely randomized to outside observers.

Group behaviour resembles the unified flits and twists of schools of fish, and these schools weave winding, river-like paths through cities. Although eodromi do not exhibit any signs of intelligence, their demeanor reflects a restless playfulness, and groups slip through pipes or gutters, swarm down drainpipes, and even disappear into the sides of buildings, only to emerge unharmed on the other side. It is important to note that when an eodromi passes through a building in this way, it does not appear inside the building itself, but, instead, emerges directly from the opposite wall.

Fundamentally social, groups of eodromi display complex interactions when they meet other groups. Schools circle, chase, and flow into and away from each other (sometimes for hours at a time) before they split up and go their own way once more.

Individual eodromi wander off on their own only very rarely (with only 0.06% of individuals displaying this tendency to divagate). Aside from their more loner-like tendencies, these explorers display no other unusual traits, and generally rejoin groups following their solo forays into the city.

The eodromi avoids human corpses, and never comes within 31 feet of a human corpse.

interactions with sensitives

Certain sensitives appear to have a magnetic effect on eodromi, and schools will circle and swirl around these individuals in complex loops and ribbons. The percentage of sensitives which attract eodromi varies regionally; in some cities, only 0.3% of sensitives will elicit such a reaction, while in others, upwards of 80% of sensitives draw attraction in this way. Sensitives circled by the eodromi experience a distinctive "pins and needles" feeling across entire body, a sensation not felt by sensitives that do not pique the eodromi's interest, even when in close proximity. This sensation is at first noticeable as a faint tingling of the toes and fingers, and grows stronger over time. After several minutes, this tingling becomes almost impossible to tolerate, as even internal organs begin to prickle. Despite this potentially unpleasant sensation, the eodromi is otherwise harmless, and groups always disperse once the sensitive either moves away or reaches out to touch the circle.

The eodromi possesses quick reflexes, and can only be touched when a sensitive reaches their hand in front of the eodromi's path of motion with a quick, darting movement. This requires perfect timing, however, as the eodromi's reflexes are so quick that even the slightest amount of time allows it to dart in another direction at the last minute. Physical contact with an eodromi causes the same paresthesia that is felt when a group of eodromi circles a sensitive, albeit to a lesser degree.

When touched by a sensitive, the eodromi stops moving until the sensitive leaves the area. Due to its ghost-like body, the eodromi cannot be destroyed by touch, nor can it be moved, although it does spin in place when a sensitive rotates their finger within thirteen inches of its body. Otherwise, an incapacitated eodromi does not engage in any actions or have any effect on the world around it. Once the sensitive leaves the area, these paralyzed eodromi find themselves unfrozen, and continue on their way, either joining up with their group once more (if the group is still nearby), forming new groups with nearby companions (when multiple eodromi are stopped at once), or traveling by themselves in curious, meandering paths.

Although the eodromi avoids touch, when small objects (such as pebbles or coins) are thrown high enough into the air, individual eodromi dart forward to as if to catch the object in their mouth, and will do so many times in a row, even though they lack the utility to intercept these objects.

destruction of eodromi

The eodromi is destroyed by a narrow range of radio frequencies, the exact wavelength of which varies between groups. When a signal of weak strength passes through an eodromi, it dies and falls to the ground, while stronger signals diffuse it outright. The eodromi is also destroyed by water (which causes its bodies to dissolve), and during inclement weather, groups seek shelter under awnings or porches, where they swirl in tight, vortex-like loops.

life cycle and death

The eodromi's death is quiet and sudden. Individuals exhibit no signs of aging, and instead, die with an abrupt stop, their limp bodies drifting down to the ground below. Upon hitting the earth, their once-etherial body turns into a layer of light grey dust, which blows away on even the slightest breaths of wind.